Brushing machine



Feb. 25, 1941. R. A. RUEDE-BUSH 2,232,805

BRUSHING MACHINE Filed April 8; 1938 //v VENTUR Patented Feb. 25, 1941 arse PATENT oF ica BRUSHING BIACHINE Richard A. Ruedehush,

signer to The hannin ton, Mass,

Cambridge, Mass, as-

g Process Company, 308-. a corporation of Massachusetts 1 Application spin a, 1938, Serial no. 200,954

i corms. (Ct

This invention relates to brushing machines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for rushing suriaces'oi' tanned hides and skim to effect removal of dust therefrom.

5 One oi the dificulties encountered in brushing w leather is immediately re-attracted to that surface and clings firmly thereto. Thus the surface remains dusty in appearance and hence the ob ject of the operation is defeated.

In a prior art construction, leather is passed through a chamber in which brushes are ar-- ranged to operate on the leather, the chamber being for the purpose largely of containing incisture, either vaporized or in the term of steam, to prevent the formation of static electricity. This object is accomplished. However, since the dust must he carried away i'rom such a chamber by means of a suction apparatus, it is clear that a great deal of moisture, either vaporized or in the form of steam, must be supplied. It has here tofore been proposed to provide a sprinkler to moisten the brushes in a leather brushing ma chine. However, in this case the results are tarirom satisfactory since the suction device used to carry ofi the dust also carries away the moire ture and prevents any uniformity in the appliestion of moisture to the brushes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a brushing machine which will he esmcially simple in construction and highly efioient in operation and. one in which, moreover, the amount oi moisture applied to the brushes may he regulated so efiectively as to suit the requ rements oi diher= ent classes of work pieces and also variations in the condition of the atmosphere.

It is an important feature or the invention that moisture is applied to a rotary hrush in a brushing machine by means of a roll which rotates in contact with the periphery of the rotary brush, the roll receiving nioistening liquid from a reservoir and carrying it to the surface oi the brush in a predetermined uniform amount. To

secure application of the desired amolmt there. which roroll,

is conveniently provided a-sccond roll tates in contact with the brush suppl to the amountof moisture carried by the supply roll being determined through proper adjustment of the pressure between the surfaces of the two rolls. By the application of moisture in a predetermined uniform amount to thebrush, not onlyris the generation of a static charge on the 5 leather prevented. but there is secured a marked increase in emciency of the brush as a mechanical dust-removal device. I I

With these and other important features and objects in View, the invention will now be de- 10 pointed out in theappencled claims.

In the drawing there is shown in end elevation, and partly in section, a leather brushing machine. illustrating one embodiment oi the ini5 venticn.

In the illustratedvmachine, which is designed scribed in detail in the specification. and then particularly for brushing operations upon tanned hides and skins and other similar pieces of leather, there is provided a pair oi brushes 2 29 and it rotating in opposite directions and adapted to engage rather firmly with opposite surfaces of a piece of leather introduced between them. It will be readily understood that the leather is quickly fed into place as a preliminary to the brushing operation, since the brushes act also as feeding means It is when the work piece 6 is retracted by the operator that hmshing of its surfaces takes place. During brushing of the leather piece t by the brush 3, the brush 2 serves 30 as a backing member to support the leather for the brushing. operation.

In order to provide the desired draft of air to carry away the dust, it is preferable to enclose the brushes in a chamber such as that shown at t with an opening at it for the introduction of a work piece.- Below the brushes is the upper open end of an air duct 52 through which air is drawn by means of a fan or other blower (not 40 shown).

the brushing operation a charge of static electricity would he produced on tooth surfaces of the leather ti, due to the friction of the brushes on saidsuriaces, ii provision were not made to prevent the same. Accordingly, K have provided a roll it arranged to be driven to rotate in contact with the surface of the brush l to carry water from a reservoir it in which the roll it is arranged to dip. The application of a so suitable amount of moisture to the brushes obviates the formation of the static charge. Furthermore, the moist brushes, provided the moisture be properly regulated, add substantially to the emciency of the brushing operation. as

Preferably the roll l4 rotates in the same direction as the brush 4, thereby providing an arrangement wherein the contacting surfaces of the brush 4 and roll 14 move in opposite directions thereby assuring a more complete removal of the moisture from the surface of the roll l4. To regulate to a nicety the amount of moisture carried by the roll [4 to the brush 4 there is pro vided a second roll each end of the roll I8. Secured to a shaft 22 to which the arms 20 are rigidly connected is an arm or lever 24 which may be adjusted to press the roll l8 with the desired pressure against the roll l4. A simple construction for this purpose is provided by a screw threaded bolt 26 which may be adjusted in the outer end of the lever 24 and then secured in adjusted position, as by a lock nut 28. Preferably there are two levers 24 with their adjusting screws or bolts 26, one adjacent each end of the roll Hi. This arrangement of the rolls provides for the application of a predetermined amount of moisture to the brush 4. While in the illustrated machine, the rolls I4 and I8 are each covered by a layer of rather firm rubber, it will be understood that only one of the rolls may be thus covered, preferably the roll i8.

Since the moisture is applied directly to the brush 4 in a part of the chamber 8 not subjected to any direct draft of air, there is no interference with the application of the moisture, so that the latter may be uniformly applied to the brush 4. To insure that no draft of air will interfere with the proper application of the moisture to the brush, the rear Wall 30 of the conduit I2 is carried up into a position where the brush 4 contacts lightly with the upper edge of the wall, thus closing off and providing a compartment 32 of that part of the chamber 8 about the reservoir l6 and rolls l4 and i8.

The described arrangement is particularly applicable to the brushing of one surface only of the leather, it being clear that where both surfaces are to be specially brushed a moisture applying mechanism will also be supplied in con nection with the other brush 2. As shown, the front wall 3| of the conduit I2 is carried up to contact lightly with the brush 2 thus providing a compartment 33 wherein the moisture applying means may be located.

In operating the illustrated machine, the brushes 2 and 4, driven by connections to any suitable source of power, will feed in a piece of work such as a tanned skin 6 to a desired point correspondingto approximately one-half of the work piece. pulled out of the opening I0 while the brushes 2 and 4 continue to brush its opposite surfaces. The skin is then reversed and reintroduced for treatment of the second half (approximately) thereof. It is to be understood that the operator may adjust the pressure between the rolls l8 and I4 to suit the type of leather being brushed and to make due allowance for the temperature and humidity of the air passing through the machine and out through the exhaust system by which the dust is carried away.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

[8 carried by arms 20, one at Following this the work piece is.

1. In a machine for brushing dust from surfaces of tanned hides and skins, a rotary brush positioned to brush a surface of a hide or skin as the latter is being moved past the brush, a backing member located in close juxtaposition to the brush to support the hide or skin in position for the brushing operation, a roll in contact with said brush to apply liquid thereto to increase the efliciency of the brush in the mechanical removal of dust from the surface of the leather and to prevent the generation of a static electrical charge on the surface of the leather, a reservoir for a liquid to be applied to said brush by said roll, said roll and reservoir being located at one side of the path of travel of the hide or skin past said brush, and means for regulating the amount of liquid carried by the roll into contact with the rotary brush.

2. In 'a machine for brushing dust from the surfaces of tanned hides and skins, a pair of rotary brushes arranged to have their cylindical surfaces substantially in contact with each other and operative to brush the surfaces of a hide or skin while the latter is being moved between and past the brushes, a roll in contact with one of said brushes to apply liquid thereto to prevent the generation of a static electrical charge on the surface of the hide or skin contacted by said one of the brushes, means for supplying liquid to said roll and thence to said one of the brushes in a predetermined amount suflicient to eliminate static from said surface of the leather, and a suction conduit having an opening adjacent to said one of the brushes to carry away dustladen air.

3. In a brushing machine, a rotary brush, a chamber in which the brush is located, an opening in the chamber wall through which a work piece may be introduced for the brushing operation, an exhaust conduit to carry away the dustladen air, the exhaust conduit having a wall the upper end of which contacts the brush whereby a compartment is formed in the chamber at one side of'the brush, a reservoir for a liquid located in the compartment, a roll turning in the reservoir and located in contact with the rotary brush,

and a member arranged to co-operate with said roll to regulate the amount of liquid carried by the roll to the brush.

4. In a brushing machine, a pair of rotary brushes, a chamber enclosing the brushes, said brushes being substantially in contact with each other and arranged to rotate in opposite directions to draw a piece of work downwardly between them, an opening in the chamber wall above the line of contact between said rotary brushes, a

,conduit located opposite said opening to receive the fed-in part of the work piece and to draw dust-laden air away from said brushes, said conduit having walls the upper edges of which are substantially in contact with said brushes whereby a compartment is formed-in the chamber back of each brush through which a forced draft of air does not pass, a reservoir for a liquid located in one. of said compartments, a roll positioned to turn in the liquid in the reservoir and in contact with the adjacent rotary brush, and a member to regulate the amount of liquid applied to the rotary brush by said roll.

RICHARD A. RUEDEBUSH. 

